Old-Fashioned Chocolate Layer Cake

This cake was on the cover of the “All-Time Best Recipes” Collector’s Edition from Cook’s Illustrated. My one piece of advice is that you take the time to follow all of the steps as written. What I’ve found with Cook’s Illustrated is that every step and process has a very specific purpose. These people try a recipe 500 different ways in order to get the best result- so I try not to stray too much- especially when it comes to baking! This is just a great, basic, perfectly chocolaty, moist, delicious old-fashioned cake.

Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook Serves 10 to 12

The frosting used here is also available as a standalone recipe: Old-Fashioned Chocolate Frosting.

Ingredients

Cake

• 4 ounces (115 g) unsweetened chocolate, chopped coarse
• ¼ cup (¾ ounce) Dutch-processed cocoa
• ½ cup (120 ml) hot water
• 1¾ cups (12¼ ounces) sugar
• 1¾ cups (8¾ ounces) all-purpose flour
• 1½ teaspoons (7.5 ml) baking soda
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt
• 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs plus 2 egg yolks, room temperature
• 12 tablespoons (180 ml) unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces and softened

Frosting

• 1 pound (450 g) semisweet chocolate, chopped fine
• 8 tablespoons (120 ml) unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup (2 1/3 ounces (9.5 g)) sugar
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) corn syrup
• 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon (1 ml) salt
• 1¼ cups (300 ml) heavy cream

Method

1. To make the cake, adjust the oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees (175°C). Grease two 9-inch (23 cm) round cake pans, line with parchment paper, grease the parchment, and flour the pans.
2. Combine the chocolate, cocoa, and hot water in a medium heatproof bowl set over a saucepan filled with 1 inch (3 cm) of barely simmering water and stir with a heatproof rubber spatula until the chocolate is melted, about 2 minutes.
3. Add ½ cup (120 ml) sugar to the chocolate mixture and stir until thick and glossy, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the bowl from the heat and set aside to cool.
4. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. Combine the buttermilk and vanilla in a small bowl.
5. Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk, whip the eggs and egg yolks on medium-low speed until combined, about 10 seconds. Add the remaining 1¼ cups (300 ml) sugar, increase the speed to high, and whip until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Replace the whisk with the paddle. Add the cooled chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and mix on medium speed until thoroughly combined, 30 to 45 seconds, scraping down the bowl as needed.
7. Add the butter, 1 piece at a time, mixing about 10 seconds after each addition.
8. Add the flour in 3 additions, alternating with 2 additions of the buttermilk mixture, mixing until incorporated after each addition (about 15 seconds) and scraping down the bowl as needed (the batter may appear curdled). Mix at medium-low speed until the batter is thoroughly combined, about 15 seconds. Remove the bowl from the mixer and give the batter a final stir by hand.
9. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula. Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out with few crumbs attached, 25 to 30 minutes.
10. Let the cakes cool in the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans, discard the parchment, and let cool completely, about 2 hours, before frosting. (Cooled cakes can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and kept at room temperature for up to 1 day. Wrapped tightly in plastic, then aluminum foil, the cakes can be frozen for up to 1 month. Defrost the cakes at room temperature before unwrapping and frosting.)
11. To make the frosting, melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan containing 1 inch (3 cm) of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from the heat and set aside.
12. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Increase the heat to medium, add the sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, and salt, and stir with a heatproof rubber spatula until the sugar is dissolved, 4 to 5 minutes.
13. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the melted chocolate, butter mixture, and cream and stir until thoroughly combined.
14. Place the mixer bowl over an ice bath and stir the mixture constantly with a rubber spatula until the frosting is thick and just beginning to harden against the bowl, 1 to 2 minutes (the frosting should be 70 degrees (20°C)).
15. Fit the stand mixer with the paddle and beat the frosting on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, stir until completely smooth.
16. To assemble the cake, line the edges of a cake platter with 4 strips of parchment paper to keep the platter clean. Place 1 cake layer on the prepared platter.
17. Place about 1½ cups (360 ml) frosting in the center of the cake layer and, using a large spatula, spread it in an even layer right to the edge of the cake. Place the second layer on top, making sure the layers are aligned, then frost the top in the same manner as the first layer, this time spreading the frosting until slightly over the edge.
18. Gather more frosting on the tip of the spatula and gently spread the icing onto the side of the cake. Smooth the frosting by gently running the edge of the spatula around the cake and leveling the ridge that forms around the top edge, or create billows by pressing the back of a spoon into the frosting and twirling the spoon as you lift away.
19. Carefully pull out the pieces of parchment from beneath the cake before serving. (The assembled cake can be refrigerated for up to 1 day. Bring to room temperature before serving.)